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Western Michigan Captures State Farm® Marketing and Sales Competition Team Award

Contact: Jeff MurphyWARRENSBURG, MO (Nov. 10, 2014) – Two students from Western Michigan University captured the overall team award and a team from the host institution, the University of Central Missouri, also earned honors in the fifth annual State Farm® Marketing and Sales Competition Friday, Nov. 7 at UCM. In addition to providing $1,000 participation awards to two students from each of 11 universities involved in the event, State Farm® presented thousands of dollars in financial awards to college students, based on their success.

With their faculty coach, Ginger Killian, associate professor of marketing, between them, University of Central Missouri students Alex Fleischman, front left, and Tyler Hirlinger, front right, display certificates they received upon winning a Silver Award for their Marketing Presentation during the fifth annual State Farm® Marketing and Sales Competition at UCM Nov. 7. Behind them, from left, are Deborah Curtis, UCM provost and chief learning officer; Rand Harbert, a UCM alumnus who serves as senior vice president and chief agency officer for State Farm® Life Insurance Companies and vice president of health and mutual funds for State Farm®; and Joe Monk, senior vice president and chief administrative officer for State Farm® Life Insurance Companies and vice president of health and mutual funds for State Farm®.

The one-day competition was hosted by faculty and staff members in the UCM Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies in cooperation with representatives of State Farm®. Prior to the awards dinner, students spent the day demonstrating their skills in two major contest categories, Sales Role Play and Marketing Presentation. The Marketing Presentation showcased students’ creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and presentation skills. The university team with the highest scores from the Marketing Presentation received $5,000 awards for finishing first (Platinum Award), $3,000 for second (Gold Award), and $1,500 for third place (Silver Award). The prize money was split between members of each team, and there was only one round of scoring for this part of the competition.

In Sales Role Play, all students competed individually in two, 15-minute rounds. They were evaluated on the basis of scenarios involving the sale of auto insurance to fictional, young adult buyers who were portrayed by State Farm® sales representatives. Judged for their sales skills, Sales Role Play winners were determined by combining students’ first- and second-round scores. Students with the highest combined scores won $3,500 for first place (Platinum Award), $2,500 for second (Gold Award), and $1,000 for third place (Silver Award).

Combined Individual Competition Winners were determined by combining a student’s first- and second-round Sales Role Play score with their team Marketing Presentation score. Students with the highest combined score won $2,000 for first place (Platinum Award), $1,000 for second (Gold Award), and $500 for third place (Silver Award). The Team Award was presented to the two students from the university with the highest combined student scores from the Marketing Presentation and the first and second round of the Sales Role Play competition. Although there was no monetary award in this category, students received a trophy to take back to their school.

Teams participating in the event were from Arizona State University, Duquesne University, Texas State University, UCM, University of Georgia at Athens, University of Houston, University of Missouri, University of Oregon, University of Southern California, Wake Forrest University, and Western Michigan University.

Award winners were as follows:

Winning Team – Caleb Ross and Hope Burnham, Western Michigan University